Robert M. Thompson
Encyclopedia
Robert Means Thompson was a United States Navy
officer, business magnate, philanthropist
and a president of the American Olympic Association
. He is the namesake of the destroyer
USS Thompson (DD-627)
.
, to John Jamison Thompson and Agnes Kennedy. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy
on 30 July 1864. Graduating tenth in the class of 1868, Thompson first went to sea in Contoocook in the West Indian Squadron. He later served in Franklin, Richmond
, and Guard
of the Mediterranean Squadron; as well as in Wachusett
and at the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island
.
Commissioned ensign
on 19 April 1869, and promoted to master on 12 July 1870, he resigned from the Navy on 18 November 1871, to study law in his brother's office. After he was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1872, he was still not satisfied with his legal training so he studied law at Harvard
, graduating in 1874. Thompson subsequently practiced law in Boston
and was a member of the Boston Common Council from 1876 to 1878. He later became interested in mining
and smelting
enterprises, by which he earned his fortune. He was president of Orford Copper, which later merged into the International Nickel Company of Canada, of which he served as chairman.
He was an organizer of the Navy Athletic Association and the donor of the Thompson Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the annual Army–Navy Game. His interest in sport then extended to the Olympic Games
, and was twice president of the American Olympic Association, once for the 1912 Summer Olympics
, and again for the 1924 games
. In 1912, he was also elected president of the New York Athletic Club. He also helped to organize the New York Chapter of the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and served as its first president and as a trustee of the Naval Academy Alumni Association at Annapolis, Maryland
.
Thompson was president of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and president of the Navy League. He also visited Japan
at the invitation of the Japanese government and was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
, Second Class, by the Emperor. He also received the Order of Vasa
by the government of Sweden
, and the Cross of Commander, French Legion of Honor, by the French
government.
Thompson became a companion of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
(MOLLUS) in 1874 through the Massachusetts commandery. He was active in MOLLUS affairs and was elected commander in chief October 27, 1927, and served in that capacity until his death. He co-edited the Confidential Correspondence of Gustavus Vasa Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for the Navy Historical Society
Robert Means Thompson was married to Sarah Gibbs, daughter of Rhode Island governor, William C. Gibbs
. They had one daughter, Sarah Gibbs Thompson. He died while visiting his daughter and her husband, Stephen Hyatt Pell
, at Fort Ticonderoga
, New York.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer, business magnate, philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
and a president of the American Olympic Association
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
. He is the namesake of the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
USS Thompson (DD-627)
USS Thompson (DD-627)
USS Thompson USS Thompson USS Thompson (DD-627 (later DMS-38) was first a Gleaves-class destroyer, then became an Ellyson-class destroyer minesweeper. She was the second Navy ship named "Thompson", and the first named in honor of Robert M...
.
Biography
He was born in Corsica, PennsylvaniaCorsica, Pennsylvania
Corsica is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 354 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Corsica is located at ....
, to John Jamison Thompson and Agnes Kennedy. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
on 30 July 1864. Graduating tenth in the class of 1868, Thompson first went to sea in Contoocook in the West Indian Squadron. He later served in Franklin, Richmond
USS Richmond (1860)
The USS Richmond was a wooden steam sloop in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Service in the Caribbean :Richmond was launched on 26 January 1860 by the Norfolk Navy Yard; sponsored by a Miss Robb. Richmond, commanded by Captain D. N. Ingraham, departed Norfolk, Virginia 13...
, and Guard
USS Guard
USS Guard may refer to:, purchased by the U.S. Navy in 1861 as USS National Guard; renamed in 1866; final decommissioning in 1878; sold in 1883, a tug built for the United States Coast Guard at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard; served in the U.S...
of the Mediterranean Squadron; as well as in Wachusett
USS Wachusett
USS Wachusett has been the name of more than one United States Navy ship, and may refer to:*USS Wachusett , a sloop-of-war in commission from 1862 to 1868, from 1871 to 1874, and from 1879 to 1885...
and at the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
.
Commissioned ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
on 19 April 1869, and promoted to master on 12 July 1870, he resigned from the Navy on 18 November 1871, to study law in his brother's office. After he was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1872, he was still not satisfied with his legal training so he studied law at Harvard
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, graduating in 1874. Thompson subsequently practiced law in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and was a member of the Boston Common Council from 1876 to 1878. He later became interested in mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and smelting
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
enterprises, by which he earned his fortune. He was president of Orford Copper, which later merged into the International Nickel Company of Canada, of which he served as chairman.
He was an organizer of the Navy Athletic Association and the donor of the Thompson Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the annual Army–Navy Game. His interest in sport then extended to the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, and was twice president of the American Olympic Association, once for the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
, and again for the 1924 games
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
. In 1912, he was also elected president of the New York Athletic Club. He also helped to organize the New York Chapter of the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and served as its first president and as a trustee of the Naval Academy Alumni Association at Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
.
Thompson was president of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and president of the Navy League. He also visited Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
at the invitation of the Japanese government and was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, Second Class, by the Emperor. He also received the Order of Vasa
Order of Vasa
The Royal Order of Vasa was a Swedish Royal order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III of Sweden...
by the government of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and the Cross of Commander, French Legion of Honor, by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
government.
Thompson became a companion of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, also known by its acronym MOLLUS or simply as the Loyal Legion, is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by officers of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who "had aided in maintaining the honor,...
(MOLLUS) in 1874 through the Massachusetts commandery. He was active in MOLLUS affairs and was elected commander in chief October 27, 1927, and served in that capacity until his death. He co-edited the Confidential Correspondence of Gustavus Vasa Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for the Navy Historical Society
Robert Means Thompson was married to Sarah Gibbs, daughter of Rhode Island governor, William C. Gibbs
William C. Gibbs
William Channing Gibbs was the tenth Governor of Rhode Island from 1821 to 1824.-Early life:Gibbs was born in Newport, Rhode Island, the son of George Gibbs and Mary Channing. He served in the state militia, rising to the rank of Major general.He was married to Mary Kane, with whom he had ten...
. They had one daughter, Sarah Gibbs Thompson. He died while visiting his daughter and her husband, Stephen Hyatt Pell
Stephen Hyatt Pell
Stephen Hyatt Pell , or Stephen Hyatt Pelham Pell was the son of John Howland Pell and Caroline Hyatt. He was born in Flushing Meadows, New York and died in New York City, New York. Pell was married to Sarah Gibbs Thompson, the daughter of Robert Means Thompson, a mining investor and operator...
, at Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
, New York.